Michael Reichmuth, a fisheries biologist for the National Park Service, often snorkels in the cold waters of the San Francisco Bay Area’s national parks and shorelines.
Most of the time, he’s snorkeling for work, surveying endangered juvenile coho salmon. He’s been at this for over 20 years, according to an article by the NPS, so he’s seen a lot of interesting things.
But last September, when he was snorkeling in Olema Creek, a stream that runs through Point Reyes National Seashore, Reichmuth photographed a group of freshly hatched California giant salamanders in the wild for the first time in history.
Michael Reichmuth. Photo by NPS / Maritte O’Gallagher
According to the NPS, he captured something scientists had never photographed before in the wild.
United States Geological Survey biologist and amphibian expert Patrick Kleeman confirmed the rare sighting.
“The location in a small stream known to harbor a population of California giant salamanders makes it the most likely species,” Kleeman said.
The only other local, long-bodied amphibians are newts. But as Kleeman explained, “[Their back] patterning would look different than the photo at this life stage.”
While the age of the grouping was not confirmed, one clue scientists turned to was that there were so many of them in one place, tightly clustered. They were also seen with large, whitish yolk sacs, which sustain the larvae for many months as they learn to find their own food.
Recently hatched California giant salamander larvae are rarely seen. Mike Reichmuth spotted these during a chilly snorkel survey of upper Olema Creek in Point Reyes. At first, he thought they were fish. They were beneath rocks in a long, calm pool just over 13 feet wide and two and a half feet deep. Photo by NPS / Michael Reichmuth
The cluster of giant salamander larvae — known scientifically as Dicamptodon ensatus — represents a rare finding for the elusive creature. It will also give park scientists new insights into how to protect the species.
Although the California giant salamander is not currently listed as endangered or threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act, it is considered a “Species of Special Concern” in California due to its limited range and sensitivity to environmental change.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature also classifies the species as near threatened. Although they are a sensitive species, this classification is also a reflection of how little is known about California giant salamanders.
“Their population may be declining, but scientists don’t have enough data to be sure,” the NPS article explained. “Questions also remain about factors like their distribution, habitat needs, movements, and earliest life stages.”
Although Reichmuth and his team had never spotted such young California giant salamander larvae before, they occasionally see juveniles while snorkeling or doing other field work. In spring 2023, they were excited to find this 10-inch adult. Photo by NPS
For something called a “giant” salamander, the average person might be surprised that these species are difficult to spot. They can grow up to a foot long and are categorized as the biggest terrestrial salamander species in North America.
However, they are tricky to study, rarely falling into the traps scientists set to catch and study amphibians. Most of what has been inferred about the species has been gathered from other similar giant salamanders.
According to Kleeman, only a few records of any giant salamander species have ever involved eggs or nests. Scientific literature also contains no observations of wild California giant salamander larvae.
“The fact that [Reichmuth] found them at all is interesting because there is so little information about this life stage in this species,” he said.
A snorkel survey in Muir Woods National Monument’s Redwood Creek. During surveys, biologists swim (or crawl!) slowly upstream looking for endangered coho salmon. They record other species they see as well. Photo by NPS / Jailyn Hoskins (Environment for the Americas)
Capturing them on camera means scientists now have more observation data about the species.
“This one photo, along with Reichmuth’s account of where and when he took it, helps us understand giant salamander nesting habitat,” NPS explained.
“It also adds to what we know about things like the real-world timing of their larval development. This information is crucial for giant salamander research and conservation.”
The NPS encourages everyday national park visitors to get curious, too. Visitors can’t snorkel in national park creeks like Reichmuth, but they may still be lucky enough to come across California giant salamanders when visiting the area.
If they do, and they take photos, visitors can upload their observations into an ongoing California giant salamander inventory.
You may also like: Divers shared photos of an ‘underwater panda.’ It turned out to be a new species
Header image by NPS / Jailyn Hoskins (Environment for the Americas)
